


The Non-Date

by forgotten_traveler



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, First Dates, Fluff, Harry Potter Epilogue What Epilogue | EWE, Hermione is trying her best, One Shot, alcohol use, pure fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-29
Updated: 2021-01-29
Packaged: 2021-03-15 16:48:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,549
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29067552
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/forgotten_traveler/pseuds/forgotten_traveler
Summary: Hermione wasn't ready to date. She was still learning to trust again after her relationship ended. She expected months- no years to sort through her complex feelings. When she was ready again she was going to jump back into the dating pool.Draco Malfoy had to ruin everything by asking her to grab drinks with him.Hermione was a smart witch, she knew how to say no to a man. So why did she agree to get drinks with him at 2 pm on a Sunday?
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy
Comments: 10
Kudos: 163





	The Non-Date

Hermione was more nervous than she ought to be. After all, all she was doing was going out for drinks. Just drinks. Drinks together at 2 pm on a Sunday afternoon. Draco had asked her if she wanted to get drinks together, and Hermione had chosen the time. She thought that made it distinctly un-date-like.

She couldn’t deal with a date right now. She was still getting over Ron. She wasn’t ready to trust anyone again. Not for a long while. She just happened to wish, rather desperately, that Draco had decided to wait to ask her out when she was ready to date again.

It’s not like he even asked her out. He was little more than a coworker to her. A coworker that she consistently fantasized about, but a coworker nonetheless. Draco owned the potion’s consulting company that she often worked with at the Ministry. Asking for his assistance in inventing potions that she thought would work for what she needed. She was a professional witch, she knew how to draw distinct boundaries with co-workers. Especially when she was extremely uninterested in dating anyone, which she supposed was now.

When, after they had just finished the paperwork to file a patent on a particularly impressive memory-enhancing potion, Draco happened to ask if she was free that weekend. Hermione knew exactly what to do. Her mind quickly created a list of all the excuses she could give him. She could:

1\. Pretend she was busy (the most logical excuse)  
2\. Tell him straight up that she didn’t want to date a colleague (a bit of a lie since she absolutely wanted to date him someday)  
3\. Say she was not busy but had recently developed an allergy to hanging out 1-1 with members of the opposite sex (a bold excuse)

She opened her mouth to say one of her really intelligent responses but was betrayed by her brain.

“Absolutely no plans whatsoever. Why?” She wanted to destroy her traitor of a mouth.

"Well, I was thinking we should celebrate a job well done. How about I take you out for drinks?” His voice had all of the casualness of someone who wanted a yes but would have been okay with a no. She wished she could manage a tone like that.

“Tell him to make it a group outing. Accept, but then tell him you’re only interested in maintaining a purely professional relationship. Bloody Hell, even just tell him that you forgot but you have plans for the rest of your life and will never be free to hang out with him,” her brain screamed at her.

“That sounds like it would be fun!” Of all the fucking things-

“Perfect, what time would you like to meet?”

Finally, Hermione was able to gain control of her mouth. “Sunday afternoon would work best for me. Around 2 pm.”

A distinctly un-date-like meeting time. She was proud of herself for her quick thinking and sticking to her guns.

“For drinks?” He raised his eyebrows. “Bloody hell, Granger, I knew you were a bore, but you do realize that you usually go out for drinks at night. Have to make sure you make it home to Weasley in time for dinner?”

“Oh, we actually broke up. So uh- no dinner for me,” Hermione supplied. Draco’s eyes widened for a moment before he schooled his expression.

“Got a hot date later then?” His cheeks had grown slightly pink.

“Nope, just my plans with you.” For the love of- Someone had to have dosed her tea with veritaserum. There was no other excuse for the words tumbling out of her mouth without her express permission.

“So you are free the entire weekend, but would prefer to get drinks Sunday afternoon?”

“Sounds about right.” She nodded, proud of herself for not saying something mortifying.

“Um okay. Well, I’ll meet you at the corner pub. At 2 pm. On a Sunday,” he said. He looked like someone had confunded him. He shook his head to get out his reverie, and then turned on his heel and left without another word to Hermione.

Once he was out of sight, she put her hands over her face and thought about all the hexes she wanted to cast on her foolish brain.

* * *

“So you’re trying to tell me you’re going on a not-date with Malfoy. Alone together at a pub, on a Sunday afternoon?” Ginny asked. Hermione had owled her as soon as she arrived at her flat and begged for her help to figure out how to fix this. “There are so many things wrong with that sentence I don’t even know where to start.”

“Not helping,” Hermione said, moaning into her hands. She was pretty sure that her face was going to remain permanently pink from how much she was blushing recently.

Ginny rubbed comforting circles onto Hermione’s back. “Well let me start with the obvious question, do you want this to be a date?”

“It’s too soon for me to date anyone” Hermione muttered.

“You didn’t quite answer my question.”

“I’m not ready to date yet, but if I were ready I wouldn’t mind Draco and I going out,” Hermione said the last few words cautiously. Testing how it sounded coming out of her mouth. She winced at herself.

“So you want to date him, but because you don’t feel ready you tried to friend-zone him by choosing the weirdest time to get drinks at.”

“Yup. That’s pretty much how it happened.”

“You’re mental, you know that right?” Ginny said with a smile growing on her face. “And I won’t forgive myself if I don’t tell you this now. You can do much better than Malfoy. You realize that right?”

“I don’t know, have you seen him recently?” He had grown rather fit since his time at Hogwarts.

“Okay, your opinion on that doesn’t count, we already established you’re fucking mental,” Ginny said, shaking her head in disappointment. “So we’re trying to find a way for you to go on a not-date with Malfoy, but not ruin any potential for a future date when you’re ready to actually date him?”

“That pretty much sums up my feelings on the matter.”

“Well let’s start with what you’re going to wear,” Ginny said walking to Hermione’s closet.

* * *

That was how Hermione had arrived at the pub wearing a low-cut Holyhead Harpies tee along with a pair of her nicest jeans. Ginny’s reasoning behind the outfit was “it shows off your tits so he knows what you’ve got working for you, but looks like something you put on last minute. Keeping it casual.” Hermione couldn’t fault the logic there.

Ginny encouraged Hermione to get there early so that she could relax and feel like she wasn’t under a lot of pressure. “Have a drink or two, loosen up. If you’re tense and nervous he’ll feel like you’re uncomfortable around him.”

Hermione, out of an abundance of caution, of course, arrived at the pub two hours early. It took time to get enough drinks in her system, she reasoned, so she better get a jump on her drinking.

The server, her name was Rebecca, was so sweet, kept recommending drinks for Hermione to try, and who was she to say no to the kind lady? There weren’t many people at the pub, since it was after the lunch rush. She felt bad for Rebecca, she seemed bored not making any drinks for anyone, and Hermione needed to calm her nerves. Unfortunately, that led to Hermione accepting whatever drink suggestion Rebecca recommended. She didn’t usually drink, so this was her opportunity to expand her palate. Hermione didn’t realize that she should probably slow down until she had 8 drinks in her system.

Draco Malfoy arrived at the pub exactly 3 minutes before he was expected. He grinned when he saw her already sitting in a booth.

“This is not a date!” Hermione exclaimed as soon as he took his seat across from her. Ginny had told her that if all else fails she should be honest with him about her feelings. She thought that sounded like such smart advice, especially now.

Draco blinked. “I uh- didn’t assume it was.”

“I just wanted to be clear. Just because you’re attractive and I’m attractive,” She hoped he didn’t notice her slurring her words. “Doesn’t mean we can’t hang out without it not being a date.”

“Merlin, Granger are you pissed right now?” He asked, his eyes widening in excitement. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you drunk.”

“I may have decided to participate in the consumption of alcoholic beverages.” She felt like she was swaying, was she swaying back and forth? Oh, she hoped Draco didn’t notice.

“Yes, I think I can tell. Rest assured, I didn’t think this was going to be a date. I thought you made it pretty obvious you were turning me down Friday.” He shook his head at her.

She gasped, “That’s not what I was trying to do.” Her eyes were wide as she stared at him. “I just didn’t want to go on a date today. It’s too soon.”

“Too soon? Granger, we’ve been working together for the last few years. I think you know me as well as you’re going to get.”

“No, not too soon for you and me,” she said, gesturing wildly between the two of them. “Too soon for _me_.”

“I need a drink if I’m going to deal with a pissed Granger. You’re making no sense whatsoever,” he said as he raised his hand to get the attention of the waitress.

“Look it’s like this,” she started then paused while Rebecca came to see us. “Hi, Rebecca!

“Hello, Hermione,” she said, then turning to Draco “I’m glad she’s not alone. I was a little worried that she wasn’t going to have anyone to help her apparate home. Anyways, what can I get you to drink?”

“That’s Rebecca,” Hermione said. “She’s very nice. And will bring you whatever you want. You just have to ask.”

“Thank you, Granger. I need a firewhiskey on the rocks, I’m going to need you to make that a double,” He paused looking at Hermione. “Also, a glass of water for her please, and some bread if you have any.”

Hermione was still smiling as she watched her favorite server ever walk away. She was pretty sure that this was her favorite place in the entire world.

“Okay, would you like to continue Granger, or are you just going to sit there and stare off for the rest of the day?” Draco said moving his head so he was in her line of sight. He was so handsome.

“Yes! I want to continue. What was I saying?” She giggled at him.

“Something about it being too soon to date.”

“Oh yeah,” Hermione said, scooting to get out of her seat. She left the booth and landed on the floor with a thud.

“Where the fuck are you going?”

“You were too far.” She pouted as she took the seat next to him. “I wanted to sit closer to you.” He swallowed and took a deep breath. She became transfixed on his throat for a few moments before she shook herself and was brought back to reality. Rebecca had already returned with their orders. Draco took a large sip of his drink, pushing the water and food into Hermione’s hands. She took a few moments to drink her water and take a few bites of bread.

“Ah yes. It’s too soon. I just broke up with-” a pause “Oh my god I don’t remember his name.” She gasped reaching up to cover her mouth with her hands.

“Are you talking about Weasley?” he said, raising an eyebrow.

“Yes! I can’t remember which one! There are sooooooo many of them,” she said giggling. “I know it’s not Ginny. Haha, can you imagine if Ginny and I dated? In another world maybe we could have-'' 

“Ron. You dated Ron.” Draco supplied for her. He quickly finished the rest of his drink and motioned for Rebecca to bring him another.

“Yeah, Ron. Well, he cheated on me. And that didn’t make me feel good so I don’t need to date anyone right now. Because then they could make me not feel good.”

“I’m sorry. He did what?” Draco frowned. While before he seemed slightly amused now he looked put out. “ _He_ cheated on _you_?” He repeated like he couldn’t understand the sentence he was saying.

“Yeah, but I don’t want to talk about it because it makes me sad. And I could start crying. I don’t want to cry on my not-date,” she slurred.

“Of course, it’s considered blasphemy to cry on a not-date.” He rolled his eyes.

“Thank you!” Hermione said, glad that he agreed with her. “So that’s why I can’t date you right _now_. But maybe in the future, we could revisit the opportunity.”

“Granger. I will happily take whatever scraps you give me. Even if you have to be drunk in order to tell me these things.” He reached forward to twirl one of her curls in his finger. She smiled at him. He smiled back. She didn’t realize it, but she was leaning in closer to him. Her eyes locked on his until he looked down and then abruptly away from her.

“You just checked out my tits!” she squealed laughing at him. “I caught you. Oh Merlin I can’t believe this. You were looking at my tits!”

She was still celebrating when she felt his hand cover her mouth.

“What the fuck? You need to stop screaming right now.” He drained the rest of his drink with his other hand. His cheeks were stained red.

“I caught you,” she sang. She moved closer to him so that she could whisper in his ear. “You know, I wore this shirt so you could see my tits.”

Her gaze was transfixed on his throat as she heard his loud swallow. He had become as still as a statue. “I wanted you to look at me. I wanted you to think of me all the time. I think of you whenever I’m all alone and I-”

“Fuck Hermione,” he said, his voice almost a groan. He grabbed her shoulders and lightly pushed her off of him. “You have got to stop. I’m not gonna do anything with you when you’re pissed, and right now you’re just torturing me.”

She smirked at him.

A moment later, Hermione suddenly had an idea, “We should leave.”

“We should?” he questioned, his eyes wide. His cheeks were flushed, and his heavy breaths were coming in uneven.

“I think you should take me to a potion store. You said we’re not going to do anything while I’m drunk, why don’t I get a sober-up potion. Then we can see if our non-date could have a happy ending.” She bounced her eyebrows up and down suggestively.

“Granger, I can promise you one thing, when you sober up you do not want me to be around you. You’re going to be mortified.” His laughter caused a frown to appear on her face. 

“Okay, it’s your funeral.” He relented after a few seconds, shaking his head at her. “Let’s get you a sober-up potion. Then I’ll let you have your way with me.”

With a grin, Hermione slid out of the booth. She wobbled as her feet hit the ground, but Draco’s steady hand on the small of her back kept her standing straight. He lifted his arm so she could take it. She leaned on him heavily as he walked to the door, leaving a few galleons on the table behind him.

“Bye Rebecca!” Hermione said waving at the waitress with her free arm. Draco nodded at her. “I’ll miss you so much.”

The waitress waved back at her, her eyebrows raised.

“You know Granger, I don’t know what kind of drunk I thought you’d be, but it’s definitely not like this,” he said as he led her to the nearest apothecary.

“What do you mean?”

“I guess I just thought that you’d be more of an angry drunk. I always thought you had a lot of built-up steam in that big ole’ brain of yours just waiting to get released. You just didn’t seem like such an affectionate drunk.” He steadied her as she wobbled, she rested her head on his arm as they were walking. “I must say I’m pleasantly surprised.

“What kind of drunk are you?” she questioned. She wanted to see him drunk right now, maybe she could convince him to go to the bar again and drink.

“It takes a lot to get me there, but I’m a happy drunk,” he said the corner of his mouth raised slightly. “I think my body holds all my happiness in and when I get drunk, I just go crazy with it.”

“No way.”

“It was mortifying at Hogwarts. Someone would bring out the booze and all of the sudden I’m giggling while telling all the Slytherins how much I love and appreciate their friendship.”

“There’s no way you’ve ever giggled in your life.” Drunk as she was, she still couldn't imagine any set of circumstances that would lead to Draco Malfoy professing his love to all of his friends.

“Maybe I’ll show you one day. I’ll probably end up embarrassing myself even worse than you’ve done today.”

Hermione pondered what he was saying for a few minutes, the pair walking in comfortable silence

“I don’t think I’m going to be embarrassed. I’m glad I was able to say all these things to you. I wanted you to know, I just didn’t know how to tell you.”

“I’m glad you told me too,” he said as they stopped in front of a small potions shop, Hermione was swaying too unsteadily to go into a store with as many breakables as they had. Draco deposited her on a nearby bench. “Let me go buy you the potion, I’ll be right back.”

She nodded, smiling at him as he walked away. This had been such a good day. She and Draco had talked about so much. She really felt like she knew him for the better. Her smile grew as he walked out of the potion shop holding two vials in his hands.

She squinted trying to see why he had two potions.

“Hangover potion,” he answered her unspoken question. “You’re going to be needing it. Anyways, bottom’s up.” He handed her the sober-up potion first, she swallowed it and then quickly finished the hangover potion.

Hermione felt the grin slowly fade from her face, her eyes widening as her buzz wore off. She was staring into the smirking face of Draco Malfoy. She quickly covered her face with her hands. “Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god,” she repeated.

Draco sat next to her and put an arm around her shoulders, “If it makes you feel any better, I thought you were adorable.”

“It does not make me feel better,” she groaned into her hands. “I am the most embarrassing person that has ever walked the face of the earth.”

She turned to look at him. His shoulders were shaking

“You’re laughing at me!” A giggle escaped from her as well. 

“I absolutely am. This is the best Sunday I think I’ve ever had.” He continued laughing at her. “You practically begged me to take advantage of you! Lucky for you, I’m a gentleman.”

“Oh my god, I can’t believe I did all of that.” She was pretty sure that her laughter was a coping mechanism so she didn’t have to deal with how embarrassed she was. “Thank you for putting up with me.”

“My pleasure,” he said with a grin on his face.

“I don’t drink that often so I guess I’m not the best at handling my alcohol.” 

“Hmm, I couldn’t tell.” He smirked. Their laughter faded as they both grew quiet for a couple of moments. He really was quite handsome, and an obvious gentleman. 

He was the first to break the silence. “Well, since you’re sober now I should probably-” Hermione interrupted him by pulling his face to meet hers.

His eyes were wide for a moment before he slammed them shut and tangled his hands in her hair and kissed her back. A jolt of energy ran from Hermione’s lips slowly spreading down her throat and gliding down her arms and legs.

Her heart was beating in her throat, as he deepened the kiss. His arms pulling Hermione as close to him as possible. For a moment, none of it mattered. Hermione’s embarrassment, her break-up, her feelings of not being ready to trust again, they were all gone.

He felt like the ocean, she wasn’t sure if she was drowning or floating to the surface with each wave of him that crashed into her again and again and again. Her energy rose like the tides until all faded away and she was submerged in him.

He tasted like possibilities.

A few moments later they broke apart, both panting. She was unable to keep the grin off of her face.

“Well,” Draco said, his voice hoarse, “This is without a doubt the best non-date I’ve ever had.”

**Author's Note:**

> [Follow me on Tumblr!](https://forgotten-traveler.tumblr.com/)


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